Report 58

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Six Paramitas: Ethics

OK, now I remember: generosity is related to ethics in that it can be the basis for ethics -- without a foundation in generosity and caring, ethics turns into a dry, crusty set of rules -- very boring. Generosity brings a sense of vitality to our conduct toward others, naturally turning our behavior towards "the good." In that sense, ethics is what grows from generosity. If Reality asks anything of us, it's only for acknowledgement, recognition, accord. We tell the truth because it's a basic form of celebration and a basic form of non-harming.

It's been interesting to notice how often my unethical behavior is triggered by the ego's grasping and aversion -- a desire to gain some imagined advantage for myself, or to fend off some unwanted possible consequence. But that's basically a form of insanity, isn't it? How could it be that an instance of harm will be "easier to deal with"? At these times (when it's hard to see why we shouldn't punch someone in the nose), a basic rule about non-harm can be a friendly reminder not to make the trouble worse.